M6 is seen running around her train at Drysdale on a
magnificent day in Easter 1995.

This locomotive was built by
Robert Stephenson &
Hawthorns Ltd in 1951 as their builder's number 7429,being the ninth of ten members the Tasmanian
Government Railways' M-class 4-6-2 locomotives. These locomotives were built to
the proven design of Indian Railways' metre-gauge YB class pacifics.
a

M6
was originally numbered M9 prior to the 1957-58 rebuilding by the Tasmanian Government Railways of four "M"
class members to "MA" class; the whole M/MA re-numbering hinged on this one
change as it meant simply inverting the 9 to become a 6. b The
other class members were renumbered as per the following table:

Original No.

RS&H
Builder's No.

New No. a

M1

7421

MA2

M2

7422

MA4

M3

7423

M3

M4

7424

M4

M5

7425

M5

M6

7426

MA3

M7

7427

M1

M8

7428

MA1

M9

7429

M6

M10

7430

M2

M6 is
now preserved as an operational member of the
Bellarine Railway locomotive fleet.
I've visited the Bellarine Railway many times over the years; one such visit
during Easter 1995 included several hours chasing M6 along the line on a
beautiful day. The scanned photo shown above dates from that visit.

By
July 2006, M6
was out
of service and awaiting overhaul at Queenscliff. As at January
2011, M6 was in undercover storage at Lakers Siding awaiting firebox and
mechanical repairs before return to service. c